Sunday, September 24, 2017

My Journey to Starting a School Library Makerspace: Part 2

2:37 PM
When starting a Library Makerspace, one of the most important things to consider is funding.  In these times of library budgets getting slashed, many schools simply do not have the funds to invest in the items needed for a Makerspace.    It was no different in my school district.  Most of my students are middle class or above, so we are not considered to be low poverty.  Unfortunately, the library budget is rather low and every cent is needed for library resources.  Since we are not low poverty, many of the big grants out there were not available to us.  Those are given to the schools that have the highest need (the schools with the highest poverty)

So how does someone get funded for a Makerspace if they are ineligible for need based grants?

Librarians need to tap into their local resources, such as the school's education foundation, the home and school association, and other local grants.  Organizations that truly care about your school and students, because they have a vested interest.  When I first started working in Shamong, NJ, I knew I wanted to start a Makerspace.  I also knew that the funding would need to come outside of my budget.  I walked into a library situation that was in desperate need of updating.  My entire budget was needed so I could make the necessary updates.  

Our district is very blessed, because we have an education foundation who is willing to fund projects that are creative and innovative.  When the Spring Grant submissions started, I decided to submit a grant to start our Library Makerspace.  

The grant process involved:

  • Talking to other teachers who had previously had a project funded through the foundation.
  • Doing my homework ahead of time, prior to writing the grant proposal.
  • Finding a way to integrate the items requested for the funding,  into my curriculum.
  • Working with my technology director to plan out purchases for the grant proposal - this included getting pricing for IPads, a 3D printer, and a shelf for the IPads.
  • Writing and submitting the grant to the foundation.
  • Responding to questions about the grant from the foundation.
The final grant requested $13,307 in materials.  I opted for those higher tech items.  The items decided upon were based on a survey sent out to students.  I wanted the students in my middle school to take ownership of the Makerspace.  The items requested were things that were most important to my students.  Some of the items we requested were:
  • 10 IPads
  • Cases for the IPads
  • Shelf for the IPads
  • 4 Dash and Dot robots
  • 4 Sphero Spark robots
  • 1 K'nex robot kit
  • 4 boxes of legos
  • 2 Raspberry Pi
  • 1 3D Printer with filament
Here is a copy of the grant request.

I am happy to say that our grant was fully funded, and we were also able to get another grant through the state for an additional $10,000.  We have used this money to renovate our once computer lab, and turn it into a Makerspace lab.  We have also used the additional money to purchase new furniture for our space, shelving, and additional supplies.

                                                  Students enjoying our Makerspace Room.

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Monday, August 21, 2017

My Journey to Starting a School Library Makerspace: Part 1

6:45 PM
About three years ago while attending the PSLA (Pennsylvania School Librarian's Association) Conference, the Makerspace movement caught my attention.  What a way to inspire creativity in the library, I thought.  I started collecting as much information as I could on the movement (reading books, reading website pages and articles, attending workshops and conferences with maker related topics, and following maker librarians on Twitter).

Some of my greatest ideas have come from librarians and educators on Twitter.  Laura Fleming, makerspace guru from New Milford High School, New jersey was especially helpful.  I began asking her tons of questions about starting a makerspace in a school.  She answered all my questions, and was extremely helpful.  I was lucky enough to meet Laura in person at this summer's ISTE conference in San Antonio.  Laura's Twitter Handle is @LFlemingEDU.

Many other librarians have inspired me along the way.  They include:

  • Heather Lister @Heathermlister
  • Todd Burleson  @todd_burleson
  • Kristina Holzweiss @lieberian
  • Diana Rendina @dianalrendina
  • Colleen Graves @gravescolleen
I officially began implementing my ideas for a Makerspace into my curriculum when I was teaching K-8 at School Lane Charter School.  Because I was on a fixed schedule, and did not have a lot of money or space to start a full-fledged Makerspace, I decided to do centers during library time.  This involved areas such as:  Legos, Puzzles, K'nex, Bookmark making, STEM related projects, Ebook Listening center, and crafts.  The kids truly loved their library time, but was still quite far from my vision of a library Makerspace.  Unfortunately, my district did not "buy in" to the advantages of a Makerspace.

December of 2016, I accepted a position at Shamong Township School District.  Since my schedule involves time in the afternoon for students to come to the library for twenty minutes after their lunch period, I began thinking about how I could implement a Makerspace into my library.  I realized very quickly that some of my students were bored during this open library time, and I began creating monthly STEM Challenges. You can read about this  here.  This proved to be an excellent way to incorporate basic making skills that were low tech and inexpensive.  It was also a way to test the interest level for adding a real Makerspace to our library.

Once I realized our students and staff had interest in starting a Makerspace, I began writing a grant through our school district's education foundation.  Since the grant was very specific to wants and needs, I polled my students on items they would like to see in our space and met with teachers to discuss their needs.  Here is a link to  My Student Makerspace Survey   Our Makerspace Grant was approved in June 2017.  This will be an exciting school year for my library, staff, and students.  Stay tuned for my next blog post on "My Makerspace Grant".
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Sunday, August 6, 2017

A Supportive Administration - The Key to a Successful Library Program

9:10 AM

New Transformation . . .

This past year has been a huge transformation for me both personally and professionally.  This time last year, I was starting year 3 at a charter school outside of Northeast Philadelphia.  I had spent the two years prior at their K-8 school and moved up to their new school which was grades 7-12.  Brand new library, huge budget to fill the shelves, beautiful new school, and only 7 minutes from my home.  Sounds like heaven . . . right?  I thought so too, but I was miserable by October, and found a new position by November.  The new position was in New Jersey and over an hour away.  New Jersey also requires that all new teachers live in New Jersey, so I was looking at moving within a years time.

So why did I leave? What was the problem?

The problem at the charter school was not the teachers or students.  I had a great rapport with all of them.  The library was very nice, although it was unfortunate the CEO never valued my opinion enough to work together on a plan for the new space.  The main problem, however was the administration.  They did not value my position, nor did they welcome my opinion on anything.  Everything was micromanaged, so new ideas I had were always shot down.  The thing that bothered me the most was the fact that I wanted to start a Makerspace, and the administration wanted no part in that.  They seemed to still have an old-fashioned view of the library (students should be silent, reading or studying)  I guess I would have to say I left because the administration and I had two different views of the library, and I realized it was not going to change, nor was it going to get any better.

Moving On . . .

I accepted a position with Shamong Township School District at their Middle School (Indian Mills Memorial School) in Shamong, New Jersey in November 2016, and began working for them in December.  It has been a fabulous experience, and I can't imagine working anywhere else.  I have a fabulous schedule, a wonderful student and teacher population, but most of all an excellent administration.  My principal, Timothy Carroll is a fantastic leader.  He is excited about changes I can make in the library and welcomes new ideas I have for our school and library.  Our superintendent, Dr. Christine Vespe is just as supportive.  It has made a huge difference what I am able to achieve as the school's library media specialist.



So What's Next . . .

I am happy to say that I moved to New Jersey over the summer, and am thrilled to be returning to Shamong.  
Our Education Foundation approved a grant for the school library, to begin a makerspace.  We will be adding a 3D Printer, 10 IPads, 5 Sphero Sparks, 5 Dash and Dot robots, K'nex sets, Lego sets, Little Bits sets, Snap Circuits sets, and 3 Raspberry Pis.  This is a dream come true, and I am so thrilled I can bring this to the students and staff at this school.
This year I also hope to work with even more of the teachers than I had the opportunity to work with last year.  We have expanded our electronic collection, and I am hopeful our new collection will provide more opportunities for collaboration.

My Advice . . .

If you are in a situation that is far from ideal, I would suggest meeting with your administration.  Let your needs and wants be heard.  Understand that you may not get everything you want, but perhaps there is a way you can meet in the middle.  Whenever you have a chance promote and communicate what you are doing in the library.  Remember, most principals and superintendents have come from the classroom and not the library.  They may not know exactly what you are doing, unless you tell them.  This can come in the form of a brief email, a monthly newsletter, creating a library social media site, presenting on your school library at conferences, or simply meeting with your principal.  There does sometimes come a time when you must agree to disagree or move on.  I knew I wanted something better than the situation I was in last year, and I am so delighted that I moved on to Shamong.
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Sunday, March 19, 2017

Working with Teachers to Use Video Conferencing Tools

3:50 PM
Earlier this month I presented to my teachers about how they can use videoconferencing in the classroom.  If you are not using Skype or Google Hangouts in your school, I would highly recommend starting.

Some of the benefits to using videoconferencing in the classroom include:

  • It prepares students for the 21st century
  • Students can connect to experts, authors, other classrooms and teachers
  • It raises global awareness
  • Students are able work collaboratively not only with their own classmates, but also with students at other schools
  • Increases students interest and motivation
  • Gives students a voice
While making my presentation, I tried to point out to teachers and staff that whether they decide to use Google Hangouts or Skype does not really matter.  What matters is how they use the tool.  

Some of the awesome types of videoconferences include:

  • Mystery Skype/GHO
  • Virtual Field Trip
  • Skype/GHO With an Author
  • Connect With an Expert/Guest Speaker
  • Connect With Another Classroom
  • Virtual Book Club
  • Connect With an After School Club
  • Learn a New Language
  • Professional Development Opportunities
  • Parent-Teacher Conferences
  • Meeting with Colleagues
  • Student Collaboration
  • Flipped Classroom Model
During my presentation I was lucky enough to do a Google Hangout with Nikki D. Robertson.  Nikki is a fabulous resource and is happy to help answer any questions about using social media, videoconferencing, and any other programs that promote global connections.  

Here is a link to my presentation.  Feel free to use any of the resources I have listed in my slideshow.

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Friday, March 3, 2017

10 Ways to Bridge the Gap Between the Library and Classroom

5:48 PM
Working as a school librarian poses many challenges.  One of the biggest challenges is finding a way to get teachers to collaborate with you.  Since starting my new position in December, I have been trying to come up with creative ways to get involved in any and all aspects of the school curriculum.  Here are some things I have done to get involved.

1.  Send Out a Monthly Newsletter to staff  . . .

My chosen medium for this is Smore.  Smore is a fabulous way to send out online newsletters.  It is easy to include web links, photos, even videos.  I like to send out my monthly newsletter to teachers via email, and also embed the newsletter in my library website.  Smore offers users 5 free newsletters per year, and has different subscription plans if you need more.  I opted to pay for my Smore account, because I needed to create more than 5 Smores per year.  It has proved to be worth the money.  


2.  Plan a Schoolwide or Gradewide Event . . .

After only working at my school a few weeks, I began planning World Read Aloud Day for our 5th Graders during their Language Arts classes.  This gave me an opportunity to show these teachers the wonderful way we can use Skype with their students.  At the end of the day, we planned a read aloud for our 5th graders.  They were read aloud to by teachers, staff, and 8th grade students.  The day was a huge success!







3.  Find a Way to Connect Weekly With Teachers . . .

A few weeks ago I decided to begin connecting weekly to teachers through a weekly tech tip blog.  I have tried to focus on one small tool that teachers can use in their lessons/curriculum.  Since our school has Google Education Suite, and we are now 1:1 with Chrome books.  It made sense to begin by focusing on Google.  I didn't think it was enough to only send the blog out and offer nothing else, so I am staying after school two times per month for 30 minutes to go over one or two programs covered in my blog.  The sessions I have done have not attracted a ton of teachers, but it seems to be growing.  Its always a good idea to have some sort of a handout, so if a teacher stops by later you can give them something to get started.
When I first started working in my district, my library did not have a website.  It is so important that the library has an online presence for both teachers and students.  This is a great way to promote things you are doing in your library.  It is also a place to include your calendar, online catalog, and websites for students and teachers.


5.  Offer to do Professional Development Trainings . . .

When I interviewed in my district, I made a point to make it clear that I would like to take a hand in providing professional development to teachers.  This March I am presenting on how to use Skype and Google Hangouts in the classroom.  This is a great way to promote how the library can help.  When teachers realize the librarian can make their life easier, they are sure to take you up on your invitation to help.

6.  Think Outside the Box . . .

Sometimes teachers really do not fully grasp how librarians can add an awesome technology tool to their lessons.  Just recently I had a teacher ask me to help come up with pre-reading questions for the book Holes.  I turned this into an awesome lesson integrating the tool Kahoot.  The kids loved it and so did the teacher.  Now I took this one step farther, by asking the teacher if she would be interested in connecting with another class who is also reading Holes through Skype.  Now, what started out as a no-tech lesson has turned into an awesome high-tech lesson.

7.  Create Interactive Displays . . .

If students are interested in what you are doing in the library, they will tell their teachers about it.  In February we did Blind Date With a Book and I had so many teachers ask me about it.  We also do monthly STEM Challenges in the library.  So many teachers have asked me about it and are now starting to think about how I can help them with their lessons.



8.  Take Time to Talk . . .

When teachers come into your library stop what you are doing and chat.  Believe me what little task you are attending to (unless you in the middle of a class) can wait.  You may find something out while you are chatting that can lead to a collaborative project.

9.  Get Involved in Curriculum or Grade-Level Meetings . . .

If time permits go to any curriculum or grade level meetings.  This is a good time to promote how the library can help teachers with their lessons.  Do you know of an awesome web tool teachers can use?  Did you just get a book that might fit into your teacher's curriculum perfectly?  Meeting when teachers are planning their curriculum is a great way to connect.

10.  Involve Teachers in Your Purchases . . .

Keep teachers involved in your purchases.  Find out what they are teaching and what you need to back up their curriculum.  Take advantage of trials for databases and subscription based programs.  Send passwords and usernames to teachers and ask them for feedback.  Chances are if they do not like the program as a trial, they will not use it if you purchase it.



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Saturday, February 4, 2017

Goodbye Reference Section!

7:22 PM
When I started my position at Indian Mills Memorial School, I realized right away that I wanted to reorganize things to my liking.  The regular fiction and young adult fiction area were too crammed, the professional area was not in a great spot, and the Reference area was taking up a lot of space.  After asking talking to teachers and staff, I discovered that the Reference Area was very rarely used and even if a student wanted to borrow a book, they were non-circulating.  This may have worked back in the day when students had to go to the library to do all their research.  But 21st century students do not have to deal with that.  They can find information 24/7.  As I thought more about how I could move things around, it dawned on me . . .

                     Why not move the Reference Books into the regular collection?


As I began to go through the Reference Area, I noticed that we do own quite a good amount of sets/series in this section.  I decided to put Reference books that are stand alone books in the regular Nonfiction area.  For the set and series Reference books I created an area at the end of the Nonfiction area with all the Sets and Series books.  

Once I reinvented my Reference Area, I was able to move my Biography to the area where my Reference Section sat originally.  I was also able to move all of the Professional books tot he end of the Nonfiction section.

My Reasons For Getting Rid of the Reference Section

  1. We Needed More Space - My library is nice sized, but it is not huge.  We have a large Nonfiction section, and an extensive amount of Fiction.  I needed to make room for current and future purchases.
  2. Creating a 21st Century Library Media Center - As we add more research programs, we plan to spend less money on Reference books.  In general, I prefer to put our money into up to date digital reseources.  Students can have access to these resources 24/7 on a 1:1 availability.  
  3. Why Not Allow These Books to Check Out - We actually do have some really great books that were part of the Reference Section.  So, why keep these books in the library at all times?  I think it's so much better to allow students to borrow them.

So What's Next?

So far I have weeded very little of these books.  Maybe it's because I am very new to this school, and I wanted to see if moving some of them to a different area and allowing for circulation would make a difference.  By next school year, I plan to weed through the entire Nonfiction area.  The Reference books need to be changed in our circulation system.  This will take some time, and is not a huge priority, since students understand that we no longer have a Reference area.

I am quite happy with the look of the library.  Many students have started checking out some of our great Reference books!

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Thursday, February 2, 2017

Blind Date With a Book!

8:44 AM
Are you looking for an exciting reading promotion that will get your students to check out more books?  Try doing a Blind Date With a Book. When I first started my position at Indian Mills Middle School a couple of months ago, I noticed that many of my students - especially my 7th and 8th graders - do not borrow books from the library.  This was heartbreaking to me, especially since we have such an awesome collection.  So I am making it my mission this year to up those circulation statistics through lots of fantastic reading promotions.  The Blind Date with a Book has been a great way to get those reluctant readers to borrow library books.

So what is Blind Date with a Book?

Blind Date with a Book is a reading display/promotion where you cover the books up and write only short descriptions of the book - like the genre, themes, or some librarians just write the first line from the novel.  Many libraries do it during the month of February, for Valentine's Day

Here's How I Did It . . .


  1. I picked some awesome books.  Those books that are not the most popular (so no novels they will be reading in class, or that have been made into popular movies)
  2. I wrapped those books up in brown wrapping paper.  You know - the kind you wrap packages in.
  3. I cut out a red heart and wrote the genre and themes of each book and taped the heart to the front of the book once it was covered up.
  4. I wrote the barcode number on the back of the book once it was covered up.
  5. I added some inexpensive Valentine's ribbon I found at the dollar store to 2 corners.  I just taped the ribbon on (when students check out the book, I take off the ribbon and reuse, so I don't have to keep using the ribbon)

My Display Area
My display area consists of plastic hearts, Valentine's Day helium balloon weights, and Valentine's Day tinsel.  All of these things I found at the dollar store.  I also used book stands to stand the books up.  I created the sign with our letter machne.  I also created a sign with directions for participating in the Blind Date with a Book.

Incentive to Read the Book

I wanted to make sure my students were not just borrowing the books, but reading the book, too.  In order to achieve this, I created bookmarks that have an area to write a short review of the book they read.  Once students bring the bookmark back to me all filled out, they receive a small bag filled with candy and stickers.  Not too crazy about handing out candy?  Be creative and use something else . . . Bookmarks, pencils, extra time on the computer pass.  So many possibilities.

This has been a highly successful promotion, and I recommend creating display areas and promotions like this often.  A great way to keep kids excited about reading and coming to the library! 



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